The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1887-04-18
THE CHLoROFORMIsTs.
One of the Types ofCrire Known to thecPo-
lice of Paris. SsQgf

One of the Types of Crime Known to the Po-
lice of Paris. ~ss sogf .
Lucy Hooper, in Philadelphia Telegraph.
The choroformsts, as they are called. are the
arlstocracy of the criminal race. They are gen.
orally broken down society men, and very often
medical students who have gone to the bad after
having learned, III the course of their studies,
the properties of narcotics and anRsthetics
Their chief fields Of operation are the railway
carriages and the hotels, the compartment sys-
tenn of the former giving them every facility for
carrying out their designs. Their method of
proceeding in the last instance is as follows He
seeks what is technically known as, his "nortfo-
Ito" /. g., rich Traveller who affords profitable
for the exercise of his skill. He goes
to look for him at the railway station Of one
OF the long lines, such as the Paris, Lyons
q Mediterranean road. He watches each
person that apnrosches the tlcket-of6ce to buy
ticket, and selects some one who shows, on open
ing his pocket-book, a goodly collection of bank
notes. The chloroformist buys ticket for the
same destination, takes seat IN the same COM
partment, gets into conversation with his fellow
traveller, and finally ends by producing we'll
filled lunch basket. He was to have been &C
companied by a friend. he says but at the last
moment he received telegram (which he pro-
Guces) announcing that the friend had been him
dered from de parting at the last moment This
Is why be has supply of provisions tor two per-
sons. two silver cups, ETC. He offers to share
his supper with his new acquaintance. If the
offer is accepted, the wine, which is heavily
drugged, soon sends the traveller to sleep. If,
on the contrary, it is refused, the choroformist
partakes heartily of solitary meal, and winds up
By lighting cigar. offering at the same time his
cigar-case to his companion, Who not TO seem rude
or churish in the presence of such genial friend
illness, almost invariably accepts q cigar. 1t is
prepared" with strong narcotic. as the wine
has been, and the uniucky traveller IS soon
plunged in heavy stupor. The chloroformist
opens his phial and places it for few moments
under the nostrils Of the sleeper gently applying
to the. mouth at the same time sheet Of fine
parchment, known as the .'stf1er," and having
the shape of carnival mask its function being
the exclusion of the outer air. The victim is
soon rendered wholly insensible by the vapors of
the chloroform. The thief then commences
operations in perfect safety. He takes possess
sion of the pocket-book, and empties it of its
bank notes, replacing few of the smallest
value. he then puts it back in the pocket
from which he had taken it. removes the
parchment mask from the face of the sleeper.
and, leaving the victims iewelry and coined
money untouched, gets out of the train at the
next station. The motive of leaving his victim
in possession of his jewelry and porte nonnaie is
twofold. If the traveller. awakeing. finds that
his watch and chain and his supply of coin are
all right. he does not usually investigate his
pocketbook, so the theft has chance of remain
ing undiscovered for several hours even days.
He may. too, attribute the loss of his bank
TO piece of careessness, or to n mistake on his
own part If, on the other hand. as often hap
pens. he does not wake at all, but dies from the
effects of the narcotic and the chloroform, the
authorities fnding themselves in the presence
of CORPSE presenting not the slightest trace OF
violence. and with money, papers and valuables
apparently unaisturbed, can only attribute the
decease to natural causes. 1t is startling fact
that cases of sudden death in the ears OF the
great French railways have of late become singu-
lariy freOuent